Solving the Global Problem of Aging Infrastructure with Structural Health Monitoring
The Eloque solution is an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology, using tiny fiber optic sensors attached to the bridge to accurately measure and estimate structural strain, thermal response, bending, loads, vibration, and corrosion, which are all measures of structural health. Advanced analytics are then used to evaluate the sensors’ data and deliver insights directly to the bridge owners and operators in real time, to monitor whether a bridge is being over or underutilized, has structural problems or damage that needs repair.
The technology was developed at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and trialed through a partnership between Xerox and VicTrack, the Victorian Government state-owned enterprise that owns all railway and tram lines in the state. PARC’s solution uses sensors and advanced analytics to monitor structural health in bridges to optimize asset life.
This technology enables early detection and prediction of problems, allowing issues to be found before they potentially become more costly to repair and helps customers efficiently manage maintenance budgets.
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, in the United States alone, 42 percent of all bridges are at least 50 years old, and nearly 231,000 bridges need repair and preservation work. This problem extends across the globe. An estimated 70 percent of Australia’s bridges are more than 50 years old, around 11,000 of Germany's 25,000 rail bridges are over 100 years old, and seven percent of bridges in France are already at risk of collapse.
The technology was developed at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and trialed through a partnership between Xerox and VicTrack, the Victorian Government state-owned enterprise that owns all railway and tram lines in the state. PARC’s solution uses sensors and advanced analytics to monitor structural health in bridges to optimize asset life.